Horror before 5 harmful effects of lack of sleep on childrens health

For children, deep and quality sleep is the foundation for both physical and intellectual development. Therefore, children who do not sleep well or lack sleep often show signs of fatigue, irritability, poor concentration in learning. The negative effects of sleep deprivation on children's health are still great if parents do not detect it early and take timely intervention.

Accordingly, lack of sleep has a direct impact on children's behavior and overall health. This condition can lead to many serious problems, such as: impaired memory and concentration; stress, uncontrollable action; slow response or even diabetes if this happens in the long term.

Therefore, in order to ensure that their children love a good night's sleep, parents need to understand more about the harmful effects of lack of sleep as well as measures to help overcome this situation.

5 serious harms of sleep deprivation in young children

Experts from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) say that when a child lacks sleep, a child's body faces the following problems:

1. Poor concentration, impaired memory

This is probably the obvious harm of sleep deprivation in not only children but also adults. Specifically, not getting enough sleep makes it difficult for children to think coherently because the flow of information about memory is restricted moving towards the prefrontal cortex, causing forgetfulness.

In addition, in a trial of children with long-term sleep deprivation, the response rate of babies decreased by up to 50%, and this was even worse if they had consumed a pre-stimulant drink. there. Consequently, children learn less suddenly .

2. Flustered emotions

Research at the University of California, USA, shows that lack of sleep can make it difficult to control and express emotions in children. Therefore, parents will often encounter images of children crying, laughing, irritated, worried ... Sometimes, children who do not get enough sleep tend to be depressed, angry, especially with girls. If parents suddenly receive a notification that their child is violent, or bullies their friends at school, consider the child's sleep problem!

3. The harmful effects of lack of sleep are weight gain and obesity

The harmful effects of insomnia also directly affect the child's weight. Evidence is a 3-year study of 20,000 subjects in the United States shows that people who sleep less than 5 hours a day have an increased risk of weight gain and obesity. This is because the hormones responsible for appetite control and glucose breakdown are altered due to lack of sleep.

4. Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

In fact, more and more children are now being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) . Accordingly, children with this pathology often have difficulty adjusting focus, often forgetting tasks, easily distracted, and uncomfortable when having to sit still. It is of concern that children with ADHD often have poor sleep quality, lack of sleep or are always sleepy in the morning. The above problems all have serious consequences for children's education and relationships in society.

5. The harm of sleep deprivation is that it can easily lead to diabetes

There is a definite relationship between type 2 diabetes and lack of sleep. People who sleep less at night have a poor ability to handle blood sugar and are more likely to develop disease, the scientists said.

On the other hand, babies who sleep less than 7 hours a day are also more likely to catch a cold. Because good sleep improves the function of T cells, this type of immune cell is responsible for protecting the body against pathogens such as viruses and bacteria from the external environment.

Signs identify children with lack of sleep

The following are signs of a lack of sleep:

There are symptoms of sleep apnea such as: excessive snoring, mouth breathing

Wake up often at night

Children sleepwalking

Children have difficulty sleeping at night

Fatigue, drowsiness, sleepiness during the day

Children lack alertness, or doze off

Declining study results, or confusion, irritability

Sleep deprivation can also affect babies. Children 1-4 months old, babies usually spend 14-15 hours per day sleeping, each sleep lasts 4-6 hours and babies tend to sleep more at night. Children from 4 months to 1 year old, although the sleeping time may be less, mothers should still make sure to let them sleep for at least 10 hours / day.

Children have trouble sleeping at night, telling their mothers how to help their children sleep better

Parents themselves should understand the symptoms as well as the harmful effects of lack of sleep in order to direct children towards healthier habits. If you find that your baby has trouble sleeping or is not getting enough sleep, you can step by step try changing his routine. However, depending on the child's age, different approaches are needed. Overall, a few tips for improving your baby's sleep include:

From a young age, parents should train their children to go to bed and wake up on time even on holidays, or on weekends.

Try activities that make your child feel relaxed before going to bed with a warm bath or reading or storytelling

Avoid giving your child caffeinated beverages (including soft drinks and hot chocolate) before bedtime.

Make sure that the temperature of the child's bedroom is neither too cold nor too hot, with a gentle light, and at the same time, good noise is avoided.

Keep children away from technology devices that can interfere with sleep such as televisions, tablets, mobile phones ...

If the above methods still do not work, it is advisable that you take your child to the doctor for immediate examination.